this is a discussion within the College Community Forum; The Alabama man who rubbed his genitals on a drunken LSU football fan at the Bourbon Street Krystal Burger after the 2012 BCS Championship game was sentenced Thursday to spend two years in prison. Brian Downing, 33, pleaded guilty last ...

The Alabama man who rubbed his genitals on a drunken LSU football fan at the Bourbon Street Krystal Burger after the 2012 BCS Championship game was sentenced Thursday to spend two years in prison. Brian Downing, 33, pleaded guilty last month to two obscenity counts and agreed to the deal, skirting a trial on his original charge of sexual battery, a possible 10-year sentence and registration as a sex offender.

The sentence -- basically a formality -- was imposed by Criminal Court Judge Karen Herman. Herman called Downing a "bully," adding: "You chose wisely to enter into this plea bargain. The actions that you took on Jan. 9 of this year were morally reprehensible, there's no way around it."

Neither Downing nor the victim spoke.

The incident, just before midnight on Jan. 9, was caught in a video that went viral across the internet. It showed Downing surrounded by a chanting crowd of red-clad Alabama fans celebrating their victory over LSU.

The drunken LSU fan appears to be alone, passed out on a counter. He remained slumped across the table as the Alabama group balanced food containers on him and shouted "Roll Tide!"

Downing, in the video, then pulls his genitals from his pants and rubs them across the man's neck.

The YouTube video spread across the internet, finally reaching Downing's cousin, Russell County, Ala., Sheriff Heath Taylor, who called Downing's father and encouraged him to turn himself over to the law.

He was charged with sexual battery and obscenity, facing up to 10 years in prison and registration as a sex offender if convicted at trial. But last month, Downing reached an 11th-hour plea deal with prosecutors just before his trial was set to begin.

He agreed to plead guilty to two counts of obscenity in exchange for a two-year sentence. He will not be required to register as a sex offender under the terms of the deal. His lawyers have said he could be out of prison in nine months.

The victim -- who is not being named by The Times-Picayune -- has filed a lawsuit against Downing and the fast-food chain.

Absolutely irrelevant to the punishment this jerk recieved. Maybe they all went home, or maybe they were female and were scared for their own safety, or maybe they were severly outnumbered. It doesn't matter.

The perp should pay big time. Nine months is miniscule compared to the lifelong humiliation this young man faces.

This goes way beyond college allegience or fan versus fan. This is sexual assault and is as close to rape as you can get. The guy is scum and I hope the bastard gets exactly what he deserves in prison, whatever that may be.